Recent Decision:
- A notification issued by the Home ministry says all classes of passengers with valid travel documents can exit or enter through the post.
- The government also appointed the Chief Immigration Officer as the Civil Authority for the purpose, with effect from today.
Kartarpur Sahib corridor:
- Location: Kartarpur, where Guru Nanak had spent more than 18 years of his life, is located in Shakargarh in Narowal district of Pakistan’s Punjab.
- Corridor plan:
- Though Kartarpur Sahib is barely 3-4 kms across the Indo-Pakistan border, Indian pilgrims were required to access it via Lahore.
- The proposed Kartarpur Sahib corridor will connect the Kartarpur Gurdwara with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district.
- This will facilitate visa-free movement of Indian Sikh pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib that was established in 1522 by Guru Nanak Dev.
- Timeline of Implementation:
- In November 2018, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu laid the foundation stone of the Dera Baba Nanak-Kartarpur Sahib Corridor at an event at Mann village in Gurdaspur district.
- Subsequently, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan laid the foundation stone of the corridor on the Pakistan side, which is expected to be completed by 2019.
